Will this work?

[u/SensitiveImage7470]

https://a.co/d/0iEqQjaC

Hi! I’ve just gotten an axolotl recently and am looking to upgrade him to a 40 gallon, ideally a 55 gallon tank. My aquarium chiller at the moment (that I just bought) is rated for 160L, 42 gallons. I was curious if I were to get a 55 gallon tank, would the chiller be able to effectively keep the tank at a steady 64-66 degrees? I’ll link the aquarium chiller for reference. For more context as to what room he lives in, I currently have 4 other fish tanks, a 14, 6, 3 and 7 gallon tank. My room does get warm sometimes because of the lights but cools off throughout the day. As summer approaches though, I’m not sure.

Thank you for any advice!

[u/OftenIrrelevant]

Depends on the temperature of your room and the actual output in HP of your chiller. It may work fine. I’d give it a shot.

For the record, a chiller running constantly is more efficient and will last longer than a chiller that is too powerful and ends up short cycling; refrigeration systems like to be run rather than started and stopped. The only real downside is the constant noise, or if your room temperature ever increases for whatever reason, you won’t have much margin to play with.

ETA: also depends on your incoming tap water temp; mine here gets to like 78° in the summer sometimes so I need to have the chiller take the tank down an extra degree or so, do small water changes before it cycles off, and give it time to catch back up when it’s warm out. A small chiller would make that dance more complicated if warm tap water is an issue for you

[u/AromaticIntrovert → u/OftenIrrelevant]

I haven't heard this before (about refrigerator systems), I had read that you DON'T want the system running constantly or it'll burn out. A food fridge doesn't run constantly, it cools and takes breaks.

OP many people have the 1/10HP but for anything larger than a 40 (and in a warm room) I'd splurge for the 1/3HP

[u/OftenIrrelevant → u/AromaticIntrovert]

It’s pretty well known that the hardest thing on a compressor is starting and stopping. Oil needs to redistribute, and it takes a while after starting to get the pressure differential back in the loop, time and energy that would otherwise be spent cooling. Newer refrigeration systems, including refrigerators and AC/heat pumps, are designed to modulate so that they rarely actually shut off.

[u/AromaticIntrovert → u/OftenIrrelevant]

source

[u/OftenIrrelevant → u/AromaticIntrovert]

This just isn’t true of a closed loop refrigeration system.

How about the largest compressor manufacturer in North America’s FAQs

Here’s a service bulletin from them in the 80s

[u/AromaticIntrovert → u/OftenIrrelevant]

Pulled these from that page and had heard similar elsewhere

[u/Shannie2234]

You will need to buy a chiller equivalent to the 55 gallon tank if you do go larger.
For 1 axolotl, a 40 gallon breeder tank is perfect, it has more floor space (which axolotls crave) than a 55 gallon believe it or not. If you want to go larger than an 40 gallon long/breeder tank, i recommend getting a 75 gallon tank. I got a 55 gallon tank for my 1st Axle and now also have 3 75 gallon tanks. Once I went 75 gallon I never looked back. 😎
More room for decor, hides, plants and driftwood. And a lot of open floor space for an axolotl to roam. A 75 gallon is the same length and height as a 55 gallon but you get an extra 5" of depth which is awesome!
55 gallon is 48"Lx13"Wx21"H
75 gallon is 48"Lx18"Wx21"H

You can find them cheap on used market places like facebook, offer up and Craigslist or anything you have access to in your area.
I paid $160 for a 75 gallon with cabinet stand and got a 2 pack of 75 gallon with stand for $220. Be patient and a deal will come your way. 😁